1. Field of the Invention
The present invention lies within the field of toilet tissue roll dispensers, and more particularly, dispensers which are employed by handicapped persons.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with various and diverse dispensers and holders for toilet tissue rolls having a wide range of physical shapes and operating characteristics.
However, at the present time, the typical toilet tissue roll dispenser consists of a U-shaped frame and a bar mounted therein whereon the toilet tissue roll is rotatably mounted. The rear portion of the frame usually has a number of holes therethrough whereby threaded fasteners are passed to secure the frame to a vertical mounting wall. When the frame is mounted in this fashion, the balance of the frame projects forwardly from the wall to which the frame is secured forming a pair of spaced-apart fingers. Disposed between the ends of the projecting fingers of the frame is a bar, generally cylindrical in form. The central open portion of the toilet tissue roll is passed over the bar and thereafterwards the bar is mounted to the frame by capturing the ends of the bar between the ends of the fingers, thereby securing the toilet tissue roll, in rotatable fashion, to the toilet tissue mounting frame.
In use, the toilet tissue roll is manually engaged and urged to rotate about the cylindrical bar. Initially, the user must attempt to locate the free end of the toilet tissue disposed on the outer surface of the tissue roll. Oftentimes, the process of locating the end of the roll is difficult due to the relative thinness of the tissue paper and its semi-transparent visual appearance. In addition, the nature of the tissue paper results in a clinging quality whereby the end of the roll tends to adhere to the body of the tissue roll making separation of the end of the tissue roll from the body thereof by rotating the roll manually, difficult, if not, in many instances, truly impossible.
As a result of these characteristics, the user is oftentimes forced to take steps to locate and free the end of the toilet tissue roll at a time when the urgency of the user's situation is painfully apparent, and the befuddlement thereby occasioned is frought with untimely frustration.
The resulting frustrations are significantly magnified when the situation is applied to those individuals who are in some way handicapped, and especially so if these handicaps include visual impairments.
According to recent statistics, there are a half a million individuals in the United States of America who are considered to be legally blind, with an estimated forty-four thousand new cases occurring each year. The term "legally blind" is frequently defined as having ten (10%) percent or less vision in the better eye after maximum correction. This figure is not totally representative of all those with visual impairments, which is estimated to be much greater than a half a million persons. Although the blind can be self-sufficient in various aspects of daily living, there are many areas which require special attention and improved techniques.
In addition to the blind, those individuals stricken with arthritis constitute another portion of the primary market for which special attention must be given. Currently, twenty million persons in the United States of America have arthritis, of which rheumatoid arthritis accounts for five million. Each year two hundred and fifty thousand new victims are disabled by this condition. One out of every four households has a member with arthritis. Twice as many women as men tend to be arthritis victims.
Because the disease is characterized by inflammation and swelling of the joints, those afflicted have difficulty in accomplishing tasks in their daily lives which are necessary for survival. Even the simplest things are trying for many with arthritis.
The two conditions which create significant handicaps and substantial problems in the use of the typical toilet tissue roll dispenser hereinbefore described constitute significant factors which motivated the creation of the instant invention hereinafterwards described.